April 13, 2020 by James Eustace (James Eustace is a Senior at Hingham High School and an editorial assistant for the Hingham Anchor Team. Photos courtesy of James Eustace.)
On the first day of school this year, smiles filled the halls at Hingham High. As seniors, we settled into the desks we knew so well, looking forward to another memorable year. We didn’t know then how this year would end, but I can assure you no one expected it to be this way.
March 11th was the day that changed the rest of the school year. Students were taken away from each other that day, as larger precautions were taken across the country in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Spring of senior year is supposed to be the most memorable and fun part of high school. Most of the spring has been stripped from us, and with the way it's going, there may be no closure for the class of 2020. The fear that Prom, Senior Night, and Graduation won't happen has spread across the grade, as kids just wait at home to learn more.
As of now, spring sports are still questionable. All the athletes who trained for their final season are heartbroken. A push for a state championship or league title, may not be possible anymore. Teams can only wait to hear the MIAA’s decision on what will happen next. Spring sports are supposed to start as soon as classes resume, and we are hopeful that will continue to be the case but are also bracing for different news.
The Class of 2020 has some incredible athletes, forming great spring sports teams. One team ramping up for a big year was the boy’s lacrosse team. A historic senior class had high hopes and expectations on the field. All of Hingham’s athletes are grief-stricken right now, and it's upsetting it has to be this way. The passion and heart of athletes and students in our town is admirable, and we deserve more. However, we know that some things are bigger than sports and even school. To keep our community as safe as possible, safety measures and cancellations had to happen.
I had the chance to connect with a few members of my 2020 Senior class to hear their perspectives.
First up, weighing in on the pandemic’s effect on students is Shan Syed, Senior co-caption of the Golf and Tennis Teams.
I asked - what happened after March 11th?
“First we thought it was going to be a regular weekend, then the news about school shutting down for two weeks came, it was weird. Since then, it has escalated, and it's really upsetting to possibly never see a lot of friends and teachers again,” shared Syed.
As a co-captain of golf and tennis, you had participated in your golf season, but you were close to starting tennis. How has this affected the tennis team?
“Five of us have been on the team since freshman year. Our senior class was strong and close, great leaders. It was exciting going far in the tournament last year but coming up short motivated us for this year. Now that we might not have this season, some of us will never play competitively again, and it's upsetting to know we can't go to practice," added Syed.
In the drama club, the sorrow continues as students found out their Spring play was cancelled. The spring play is a fun experience for everyone and especially cherished by seniors, as their final performance. Without a proper last hoorah, Nick Capidolupo shares some touching words on what the club has gone through.
I asked Nick, what are kids thinking right now in the drama club?
“Right now everyone seems pretty bummed. After the 2nd round of the Drama Festival was canceled, everyone wanted to produce the best possible spring show we could. Unfortunately, that was cancelled due to Covid-19. We know it most likely won’t get postponed, so the kids are just taking this time to bond and reflect on all the good times we’ve had together as a club, and as a family,” shared Capidolupo.
What are club members doing now?
“After the first school closing, we still had an opportunity to make our show happen because it would’ve run two weeks after the 7th. All the actors brought their scripts home to memorize over the closing period. We worked pretty hard to be sure we would be ready. Now I’m looking forward to my summer show, hoping that doesn’t get cancelled too,” added Capidolupo.
How is this affecting you?
Capidolupo continued, “For me personally, this hits especially hard because as a senior and captain of the football team, I was not able to participate in the fall or winter productions. Right now, I’m just reminiscing on all the good memories and experiences I’ve had in the Drama Club with some amazing teachers and students. I wish it didn’t have to end this way, but things don’t always work out the way we plan them to and we have to adapt and overcome. As high school comes to an end, I'm pursuing Classical Vocal Performance in college, and will hopefully have more opportunities along the way to participate in main stage productions once again. Although I will most likely have another opportunity, I will always miss the rush of being able to perform in front of my family, friends in my hometown.”
On April 6th, Hingham Public Schools transitioned to remote learning. All of this is new, for students, teachers, and parents. Depending on each class and teacher, workloads are different, but the general idea is to keep students enriched in their classes. All students should expect pass/fail classes and 20-30 minutes of work per class. There are many questions right now, but Hingham Public Schools Leadership Team is doing everything they can to provide support to the community and a beneficial education plan for the time being.
Hingham’s class of 2020 has a special bond. Things may not have gone the way they were supposed to, but we have gone through so much together since preschool, and to have it end in the current fashion is painful. This is uncharted territory for everyone, and the only thing we can do as a class and as a community is to help each other.
There has been lots of emotion and communication on social media recently, Facebook is one platform where almost the entire Senior Class is in a Facebook Group together. Providing comfort and hope for the class of 2020 on this platform is Courtney Sherwood, our class president. On March 25th, Courtney went to Facebook and cheered up her peers. Here, Courtney opens up some more.
“I think that school opening on May 4th is a good decision. We have to take precautionary measures, and as much as this stinks, I think everything will work out,” shared Courtney Sherwood.
Gathering hundreds of students into one message has been a goal for Courtney, as she remains optimistic for everyone, especially her graduating peers.
Sherwood added, “This will definitely bring us together. We won't take the last days together for granted, and if anything this will make our prom and graduation really memorable, I have hope.”
Courtney’s attitude is amazing and professional in these crazy times.
There are so many voices to hear from as our class grapples with the reality we are living. As a well-rounded kid and beloved classmate, Senior Lance Riddell shares his thoughts.
“On Thursday March 12th, we didn't know it would be our last day. None of us got the closure we needed with our friends or teachers. It’s the little things, not knowing that would be our last school lunch, or not knowing that was our last walk from far [parking lot],” shared Lance Riddell. “I'll miss Mr. Melanson, guy’s such a beauty. I'll miss food class with my friends, it's such a shame it had to end this way, but we have to take all precautions,” shared Lance Riddell.
Lance isn’t the only one to look back on the past four years. Hopefully, this is not the end of high school for this great group of kids.
Remaining positive, as seniors we are looking forward to May 4th with hope, as this is the scheduled return date for Hingham High students. This would allow our senior class to have thirteen days to cherish the people we share the halls with and say some final goodbyes. Any sliver of hope is much needed for all of us right now.
As new news emerges every day, we can only wait and see what will happen with future events. At this point, it is out of Hingham’s hands, and we know it will all be ok in the end. However, it’s hard to wrap our heads around it – the class of 2020 is living in the midst of history, along with the rest of us.
My hope is that we can fulfill our dreams of walking across the turf together with our friends and family watching as proud HHS graduates this spring.
Stay safe, Hingham.
Great article and great pictures James. Say positive, that’s the least we can do.